UTH sued after surgical swab goes wrong

GRACE CHAILE

Lusaka

A LUSAKA woman has sued the University Teaching Hospitals (UTH) demanding more than K700,000, after a surgical swab was allegedly left in her abdomen during a caesarean section, causing permanent infertility.

Vera Mwanda is seeking damages for negligence, psychiatric injury and psychological harm, pain and suffering, loss of amenities of life and loss of fertility.

She is also claiming K507,035 in special damages, K150,000 for future in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatment and K50,009 for future psychological and psychiatric treatment.

Ms Mwanda has cited the Attorney General, UTH board management and a surgeon, Amon Mudenda, employed or contracted by the health facility.

According to her statement of claim filed before the Lusaka High Court, Ms Mwanda was admitted to UTH on May 26, 2018, and underwent a caesarean section performed by Dr Mudenda.

She claims that after being discharged, her surgical wound failed to heal for about five months, hence was infected.

The complainant said she repeatedly returned to UTH but was advised to continue cleaning the wound, to no avail.

In October 2018, she sought treatment at Kabelenga Family Hospital, Faraja Diagnostic Centre and MKP Hospital before being referred back to UTH.

In the same month, she underwent an exploratory laparotomy performed by a Dr R. Sibanda to establish the cause of the persistent infection.

Ms Mwanda claims the operation revealed that a surgical swab had allegedly been left inside her abdomen during the caesarean section.

She alleges the retained swab caused severe infection in her womb and pelvic cavity, while her fallopian tubes were infected and damaged, leaving her unable to conceive naturally.

A psychological assessment dated May 25, 2026 allegedly diagnosed her with high-risk post-traumatic stress disorder, moderately severe depression, high-risk postpartum depression, moderate sleep disorder and hypoactive sexual desire disorder.

She claims IVF is now her only option for pregnancy, adding that she requires trauma focused and couple therapy, perinatal mental health support and psychiatric review.

Recently, Mwila Kowa of Chipata in Eastern Province, sued Wellspring Speciality Hospital for K5 million, alleging that doctors negligently left a surgical swab in her abdomen during a caesarean section, forcing her to undergo a second operation.

In 2024, a Lusaka woman, Idah Lungu, filed a suit demanding K1.4 million after allegedly having a surgical gauze left in her abdomen following a caesarean section at Levy Mwanawasa Hospital. https://enews.daily-mail.co.zm/welcome/home